Width-expandable shoe with spacing preset for conduit bending apparatus and an associated method

Abstract

A conduit bending apparatus having a shoe mounted for rotation about an axis and having an arcuate-shaped periphery defining an outwardly-opening groove having sidewalls for closely accepting the outer surface of a conduit desired to be bent utilizes a shoe comprised of a pair of platen half-sections which are joined in a side-by-side relationship and which collectively define the outwardly-opening groove. In addition, the groove has a width as measured laterally across the opening thereof, and the pair of half-sections are joined together in a manner which permits the pair of half-sections to be moved toward and away from one another. The shoe include a spacing preset mechanism adapted to control movement of opposing sidewalls to accommodate a preset alteration in the variable width of the outwardly-opening groove.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a conduit bending apparatus having a conduit-bending shoe mounted for rotation about an axis and having an arcuate-shaped periphery defining an outwardly-opening groove having opposing sidewalls for accepting an outer surface of a conduit to be bent, wherein the outwardly-opening groove has a width as measured laterally across an opening thereof so that by positioning the outwardly-opening groove of the shoe about the conduit such that the outer surface of the conduit is accepted by the outwardly-opening groove and then pressing the shoe against the conduit while rotating the shoe about the axis so that the outwardly-opening groove rolls along a length of the conduit, a bend is formed in the conduit, the improvement characterized in that:
 the shoe is comprised of a first section and a second section having the arcuate-shaped periphery and collectively defining the outwardly-opening groove of the shoe, wherein the first section provides one of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove and the second section provides the other of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove, and the first and second sections are movable relative to one another for altering the width of the outwardly-opening groove; 
 a shank having a length and which is adapted to cooperate with the first and second sections so that as the first and second sections are moved relative to one another to alter the width of the outwardly-opening groove, at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel along the length of the shank; and 
 a mechanism associated with the shank for limiting the expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove; wherein the mechanism is in the form of an elongated body defining a through-groove. 
 
     
     
         2 . The improvement as defined in  claim 1  wherein the mechanism for limiting is cooperable with the shank for limiting a distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel as the width of the outwardly-opening groove is expanded, thereby limiting the expansion of the outwardly-opening groove. 
     
     
         3 . The improvement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the mechanism includes a spacer portion which is positionable about a segment of the length of the shank to thereby reduce the distance along the shank that the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel as the width of the outwardly-opening groove is expanded. 
     
     
         4 . The improvement as defined in  claim 3  wherein the spacer portion includes a plurality of spacer portions which are each selectively positionable about the shank for occupying a segment of the length of the shank to thereby limit the expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove to a corresponding width of each of the plurality of spacer portions so that the mechanism adapts the shoe for use when bending a conduit having an outer diameter which corresponds to any of the widths of the outwardly-opening groove resulting from positioning a selected one of the plurality of spacer portions about the shank. 
     
     
         5 . The improvement as defined in  claim 4  wherein the elongated body has a length and two opposite side faces, and the through-groove extends between the opposite side faces and along the length of the body and is cooperable with the shank so that the shank extends through the through-groove, and the plurality of spacer portions are located at intervals along the length of the body of the mechanism and each spacer portion possesses a thickness as measured between the opposite side faces of the body, and the body of the mechanism is slidably moveable relative to the shank as the body of the mechanism is guided along the through-groove so that by slidably moving the body of the mechanism relative to the shank so that a selected one of the plurality of spacer portions occupies a segment of the length of the shank, the shoe is capable of use when bending a conduit having an outer diameter which corresponds with a maximum width of the outwardly-opening groove resulting from the positioning of the selected one of the plurality of spacer portions about the shank. 
     
     
         6 . The improvement as defined in  claim 4  wherein the elongated body has a length, two opposite side faces and the through-groove opens out of each of the side faces of the elongated body and extends along the length of the elongated body;
 the shank extends through the through-groove of the elongated body to permit movement of the elongated body relative to the shank; and 
 the elongated body further includes 
 a) a first spacer portion of the plurality of spacer portions having a thickness as measured between the two opposite side faces of the elongated member and which is positionable about the shank for reducing a permitted path of travel of the at least one of the first and second sections along the shank during an expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the first spacer portion; and 
 b) a second spacer portion of the plurality of spacer portions having a thickness as measured between the two opposite side faces of the elongated body and which is positionable about the shank for reducing the permitted path of travel of the at least one of the first and second sections along the shank during an expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the second spacer section. 
 
     
     
         7 . The improvement as defined in  claim 6  wherein the elongated body includes a third spacer portion disposed along the length thereof and having a thickness as measured between the opposite side faces of the elongated body and wherein the thickness of the third spacer is different in magnitude from the thickness of first spacer portion and the thickness of the second spacer portion so that by moving the elongated body relative to the shank so that the third spacer section is disposed along the permitted path of travel of the at least one of the first and second sections along the length of the shank during an expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove, the permitted path of travel of the at least one of the first and second sections along the length of the shank is reduced by the thickness of the third spacer portion. 
     
     
         8 . The improvement as defined in  claim 7  wherein the thicknesses of the first, second and third spacer sections are stepped in magnitude so that the second thickness is greater than the first thickness and the third thickness is greater than the second thickness. 
     
     
         9 . In a conduit bending apparatus having a conduit-bending shoe mounted for rotation about an axis and having an arcuate-shaped periphery defining an outwardly-opening groove having opposing sidewalls for accepting an outer surface of a conduit to be bent, wherein the outwardly-opening groove has a width as measured laterally across an opening thereof so that by positioning the outwardly-opening groove of the shoe about the conduit such that the outer surface of the conduit is accepted by the outwardly-opening groove and then pressing the shoe against the conduit while rotating the shoe about the axis so that the outwardly-opening groove rolls along a length of the conduit, a bend is formed in the conduit, the improvement characterized in that:
 the shoe is comprised of a first section and a second section having the arcuate-shaped periphery and collectively defining the outwardly-opening groove of the shoe, wherein the first section provides one of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove and the second section provides the other of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove, and the first and seconds sections are joined together in a manner which permits the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove to be moved away from one another for expanding the width of the outwardly-opening groove;   an elongated shank having a length which extends through the first and second sections and which is adapted to cooperate with the first and second sections so that as the first and second sections are moved relative to one another to alter the width of the outwardly-opening groove, at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel along the length of the shank; and   a spacer-providing mechanism associated with the shank for limiting the expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove by limiting a distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel; wherein the spacer-providing mechanism is in the form of an elongated body defining a through-groove.   
     
     
         10 . The improvement as defined in  claim 9  wherein the shank is a fastener having a head at one end of the shank and a nut at another end of the shank opposite the one end, and the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel along the length of the shank and between the nut and the head as the width of the outwardly-opening groove is altered, and
 the spacer-providing mechanism is positionable along the length of the shank and between the nut and the head of the fastener to thereby reduce the distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel as the width of the outwardly-opening groove is altered. 
 
     
     
         11 . The improvement as defined in  claim 10  wherein the through-groove extends along a length of the body and is permitted to be shifted in position relative to the first and second sections, and the body of the spacer-providing mechanism includes at least one spacer portion along the length of the body which is positionable along the length of the shank for occupying a segment of the length of the shank and thereby limiting the distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel as the width of the outwardly-opening groove is altered. 
     
     
         12 . The improvement as defined in  claim 11  wherein the at least one spacer portion includes a plurality of spacer portions disposed along the length of the body and each of the plurality of spacer portions is selectively positionable along a segment of the length of the shank to thereby reduce the distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel as the width of the outwardly-opening groove is altered,
 so that the spacer-providing mechanism is capable of adapting the width of the outwardly-opening groove to accept any of a number of conduits having an outer diameter within a range of outer diameters provided by the number of conduits. 
 
     
     
         13 . In a conduit bending apparatus having a conduit bending shoe which is mounted for rotation about an axis and having an arcuate-shaped periphery defining an outwardly-opening groove which extends there-along and having two opposing sidewalls for accepting an outer surface of a conduit to be bent and wherein the outwardly-opening groove has a width as measured laterally across an opening thereof so that by positioning the outwardly-opening groove of the periphery about the outer surface of the conduit and then pressing the shoe against the conduit while rotating the shoe about the axis so that the outwardly-opening groove rolls axially along the conduit, a bend is formed in the conduit, the improvement characterized in that:
 the shoe has an imaginary mid-plane which bisects the outwardly-opening groove between the opposing sidewalls thereof; and the shoe includes a first platen half-section which is arranged on one side of the mid-plane and includes a second platen half-section which is arranged on the other side of the mid-plane; and 
 the first and second platen half-sections collectively provide the outwardly-opening groove which extends along the periphery of the shoe, wherein the first platen half-section defines one of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove and the second platen half-section defines the other of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove; 
 the first and second platen half-sections are joined together in a manner which accommodates a spreading apart of the platen half-sections at the periphery of the shoe so that asthe first and second platen half-sections are spread apart, the width of the outwardly-opening groove expands by a corresponding amount; 
 wherein the first and second platen half-sections define at least one set of aligned through-openings which extend through the first and second platen half-sections along a path which is substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the shoe, and the first and second platen half-sections are joined together with a bolt having a head, a shank which extends through the at least one set of aligned through-openings and a nut which is threaded about the shank of the bolt, and wherein at least one of the first and second platen half-sections travel along a length of the shank of the bolt as the first and second platen half-sections are spread apart to expand the width of the outwardly-opening groove; and 
 a mechanism cooperable with the bolt for limiting a distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second platen half-sections are capable of traveling to thereby limit the width to which the outwardly-opening groove is capable of expanding; wherein the mechanism is in the form of an elongated body defining a through-groove. 
 
     
     
         14 . The improvement as defined in  claim 13  wherein the mechanism includes a spacer portion which is positionable about a segment of the length of the shank to thereby reduce the distance along the shank that the at least one of the first and second platen half-sections is permitted to travel as the width of the outwardly-opening groove is expanded. 
     
     
         15 . The improvement as defined in  claim 14  wherein the spacer portion includes a plurality of spacer portions which are each selectively positionable about the shank for occupying a segment of the length of the shank to thereby limit an expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove to a corresponding width so that the mechanism adapts the shoe for use when bending a conduit having an outer diameter which corresponds to any of the widths of the outwardly-opening groove resulting from positioning a selected one of the plurality of spacer portions about the shank. 
     
     
         16 . The improvement as defined in  claim 15  wherein the elongated body has a length and two opposite side faces, and the through-groove extends between the opposite side faces and along the length of the body and is cooperable with the shank so that the shank extends through the through-groove, and the plurality of spacer portions are located at intervals along the length of the body of the mechanism and each spacer portion possesses a thickness as measured between the opposite side faces of the body, and the body of the mechanism is slidably moveable relative to the shank so that by slidably moving the body of the mechanism relative to the shank so that a selected one of the plurality of spacer portions occupies a segment of the length of the shank, the shoe is capable of bending a conduit having an outer diameter which corresponds with the width of the outwardly-opening groove resulting from the positioning of the selected one of the plurality of spacer portions about the shank.